3. Christ's death was a satisfaction for the greatest sins, both ex parte
Doesn't your compassion have eloquence? Oh, who can resist its pleasing rhetoric!
2. Christ's, and God's intention in his coming, was to forgive great sins. He was called Jesus, a Saviour, because he was meant to save his people from their sins. And do you think that some of his people's sins were not as great as any sins in the world? To save only from minor transgressions would not have been a suitable work for the glorious name of Jesus. We cannot imagine how Christ would have bound himself so strictly to his Father as a surety only for smaller debts. If this had not been his intention, he would have put some limitation in that prayer he taught his disciples, and not have commanded them to pray, 'Forgive us our trespasses,' but forgive us our minor sins or sins of such a size. He never asked what sins, and how many sins, people were guilty of when they came to him; but upon faith, he said, 'Your sins are forgiven.' Plead, therefore, with Christ and say, "You came to do your Father's will, which was that none should be cast off that come unto you, and you have said the same. It is not sufficient for you to say it merely and not do it. Will you draw me with the cords of a man (for I could not come to you unless you draw me), and shall I be beaten back with a frown?"
3. Christ's death was a satisfaction for the greatest sins, both ex parte facientis, Christ, and ex parte acceptantis, God; for God could not accept any satisfaction but what was infinite. 'One sacrifice for sins for ever,' &c., Heb. 10:12; not one sin, but sins; not minor sins, but sins without exception. Yea, and it is all sin, 1 John 1:7; and all includes great as well as minor. Satan once came to a sick man, and showed him a great catalogue of his sins, concluding from there his eternal damnation. The sick man, strengthening himself by the word of God, bid the devil write over the catalogue in big letters those words, 1 John 1:7, whereupon the devil immediately leaves him.* Can your sins be greater than Christ's merit? or your offenses than his sacrifice? It is strange if the malignancy of your sin should be as infinite as the virtue of his death. He has satisfied for all the saints that ever came to heaven, and put your sins in the balance with